


Pushed away

by Pullingupflowers



Category: Borderlands
Genre: Angst, Break Up, M/M, poor rhysie
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-18
Updated: 2016-10-02
Packaged: 2018-08-15 14:43:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8060533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pullingupflowers/pseuds/Pullingupflowers
Summary: Rhys is sick and tired of Jack's flings with him but when he attempts to cut things off with him, it doesn't go quite to plan.





	1. Confrontation

He was tired of seeing Jack with other people. Hugging the blonde girl in accounting. Having coffee with that guy in accounting. Jack never told Rhys that he was also fucking other people but didn’t make any attempt to cover it up either. It was hard to ignore when he would see tabloid articles about Jack’s ‘mystery lady’ or his ‘latest fling’ every time he went onto the ECHOnet. 

Whenever Jack did spend time with Rhys it meant the world to him. Made him felt like he and Jack could take over the galaxy. He felt like everything that happened; the long trip around Pandora with those ‘almost bandits but not quite because Rhys liked them’, had brought Jack and Rhys together. The way Jack would relax and cuddle Rhys made the young man feel like he was in heaven. Like he and Jack were made for each other. 

But it quickly deteriorated when the next morning he’s kicked out of the apartment and abruptly reminded he is just a good fuck. Completely wrapped around Jack’s fingers. 

The only reason he kept going back to Jack was that he really did have feelings for him and hoping that spending more time with Jack would make him realise he felt that way as well. It never happened, but he never really stopped hoping.

He was tired of being picked up and dropped at the bat of an eyelid, as much the idea of not seeing Jack at all pained him. All the time he spent with Jack had made him feel special and wanted for who he was but he didn’t want to keep living a lie.

Today was going to change that.

Rhys knew that Jack got to work early, and would be in his office first thing. There would be no better time than now to cut things off with him.

Giant steel doors loomed in front of him, his pulse racing. He stood for a minute, gathering the strength to confront him, mulling over what he was going to say. No matter what Jack said, he was leaving that office cut off from Jack.

He opened his clenched hand to show a small bracelet that Jack had bought him, a chrome silver bangle with a yellow honeycomb pattern printed into it with coloured enamel. Must’ve cost a fortune. Jack had given it to Rhys after the AI had received his working body from R & D as a small token of appreciation. It meant the world to Rhys, but if he was to do this, he needed to get rid of all traces of Jack. Maybe Jack could give it to someone that actually means something to him.

A single leg stepped forward, and the doors automatically opened. Rhys stormed up the stairs to find Jack sitting in his chair with his legs on the desk, holding the single picture of Angel that he owned. He was staring at it; clearly deep in thought. As soon as he saw Rhys, he put the picture down, and his whole demeanour changed. A smile replaced the grimace before it and his whole face had lit up.

“Heya cupcake, what’s with the serious face?” Jacks head cocked to the side slightly, almost as if he was genuinely concerned over Rhys. Rhys said nothing as he strolled over to the throne staring Jack straight in the eyes. 

“We need to talk.” It was unusual for Rhys to talk with such spite in his voice, but it was either that or start bawling his eyes out. He slammed the bracelet down onto the desk with a loud thud, making Jack jump slightly at the sudden sound.

“Uhhhhh, sure thing, wasn’t doing much anyway.” He swung his legs back onto the ground.

“Look, I know that we’re not official or whatever and for a while I was ok with it. I got to spend time with you, and for a while it was nice,” Rhys could feel his voice cracking ever so slightly, his eyes watering and lowered his head.

Jack wasn’t prepared for this. 

“But I can’t keep doing this Jack. Seeing you with other people just makes me feel like shit and there’s nothing I can do. It’s very damn clear that you don’t feel the same way I do. We would have such and amazing evening together and genuinely enjoy each others company, but the next morning you kick me out. Seeing you kiss someone the same way you kiss me. Seeing you taking someone else out to that really nice restaurant. I can’t keep doing this.” As Rhys talked, his voice slowly got more agitated and angry. 

“Maybe next time you will give sentimental presents to someone who actually means something to you. This didn’t mean anything did it?” Rhys held up the bracelet before Jack snatched it out of his hands and stuffed it into his pocket.

“Wait a second kiddo, ” Jack went to place his hand on the younger mans organic arm, but Rhys pushed it away.

“NO! I’M DONE WAITING, I’M DONE WITH SPENDING ALL THIS TIME SEEING SOMEONE I LOVE AND DEEPLY CARE FOR ACT AS IF I AM NOTHING! I THOUGHT WE HAD SOMETHING SPECIAL BUT CLEARLY I’M JUST A QUICK FUCK!” 

“So I think it’s time that I end this. Goodbye Jack. It’s over.” Rhys choked over the words and tried his hardest not to cry, but he didn’t even notice the tear that escaped until Jack reached up to wipe it away. Rhys flinched at the contact and tried to pull Jack’s hands off his face

“What are you doing Jack?” his voice panicked.

“If you, uh, could just wait” was all he could say before Rhys was trying to tug his arm out of Jack’s grip.

“Jack, I said that it’s over, now let go of me!”

“Rhys, stop a damn second-” Jack pulled hard at the younger boys arm, turning him so the were standing face to face. Jack, preventing him from going anywhere, his hands clamped on both of the younger mans arms.

“I’m not Jack.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After talking to Timothy about why Jack isn't there, Rhys gets a message from a mysterious person that makes everything all that much harder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really struggled with writing this first little scene, so im sorry in advance if its really boring :Y

“So you’re telling me that I spent all this time working myself up to confront Jack and he’s not here? Why do I even bother…” sounding exhausted. He voice sounded course from the crying and yelling.

Timothy released his grip on the younger man's arm, and Rhys stumbled backwards a few steps. All the anger from his face had drained and he dabbed his red puffy eyes with the sleeve of his shirt before wiping off the tears that remained on his face. 

It wasn’t the body double’s fault, he was just doing his job. Jack was the person Rhys had beef with so there was no point getting angry at him.

“Look, Jack is down on Pandora for a little while, building a new Opportunity or something, and asked me to cover for a while.” Timothy lowered his arms and sat back down at the desk before he began typing something up on the computer. 

“Jack had a body double and never told me.” If Jack kept this a secret, what else was he not telling Rhys? And how many body doubles does he have? Clearly he didn’t trust Rhys as much as Rhys did him.

“So, uh, what do you know about me and Jack?” An inquisitive look sprawled on the younger man's face. 

“Hey now, his romantic life is none of my business ok? Please don’t ever talk to me about it, ever.” His voice sounded panicked as he talked, and looked away from Rhys, trying to avoid looking him in the eyes.

“He’s on Pandora….. How long has he been there? Wait a second, was the last time I was with him was it you?” For all Rhys knew, all of that time that he spent with who he thought was Jack could have been a giant lie. Had he fallen for someone that wasn’t Jack?

“Been there a week longer than expected but he should be fine. And no, not with you anyway.” 

“What do I call you then? Jack clone? Jack the 2nd?” Timothy flinched slightly at Rhys’s comment. Damn, even after all those years of being Jack’s clone, Timothy still hadn’t gotten over it.

“My name rhymes with Jimothy,I can’t actually say it myself if I want to keep my face in one piece.” Timothy gave an awkward laugh and cleared his throat. 

“Guess I will have to wait til he gets back.” For a moment both men looked at each other briefly, Timothy sighed deeply.

“You know I could uh, I could tell him for you.” Rhys looked up at Timothy, surprised at his offer.

“What?” 

“I could tell him so you don’t have to confront him. We both know what he’s like when he doesn’t get his own way.”

Rhys thought about it for a minute. It would make things so much easier for him, but Rhys didn’t want to take the cowardly way out. He could’ve texted Jack if he wanted to do that.

“No. Not for this. I do appreciate it but I’ve gotta do it.” Timothy nodded in respect.

“Ok, you want me to let you know when he gets back or anything?”

“That would be really helpful, thanks.” Rhys slumped out of the office, his head hung low. He could really go for a pizza with Vaughn right now.

Timothy pulls out the bracelet he shoved in his pocket, knowing that Rhys really did mean a lot to Jack. He had asked the double to help him pick out the bracelet.

As Rhys walked by the offices outside Jack’s office and saw Meg, Jack’sPA.  
“Wait, how did you slip in Rhys? I didn’t see you walk by.”

“I don’t know, just walk quickly and quietly I guess?”

“Anyway, TimTams is covering for Jack right now, so unless you need something urgent you can let me know and I will try to get right on it.”

“I could’ve done with that info earlier, but I appreciate it, thanks.” 

“Anytime Rhys, you don’t know how much of an impact you have on Jack. Everyone can see it.” Is that why he was fucking everyone on Helios? Is that why he was using Rhys?

“See you Meg.” She simply smiled at Rhys and got back to typing at her computer.

Rhys stepped into the elevator and pressed the button foor the right floor. As soon as the doors closed, Rhys received an ECHO recording. The voice in the recording was low, obviously edited to obscure the speaker, and was very hoarse.

“This has been sent out to all those close to Jack. If you really treasure him so much and are willing to risk your life for him, meet me at the locations sent with this message, alone and with a million dollars in cash. We will then release Jack in one piece. We look forward to seeing you.” 

Jack had been kidnapped. 

Handsome goddamn Jack had been kidnapped.

Just his luck. 

He had never felt his heart beat that fast, as if it were going beat too fast and explode. Without even thinking, he smashed his robot hand into the elevator wall, leaving a massive indentation in what would’ve been immaculate marble. 

Rhys leant back against the elevator wall and sunk to floor. He rested his head against the wall, before letting out a long sigh. Yeah, he may not want to have this one sided relationship with him, but he couldn’t let Jack get kidnapped and killed right? There’s no doubt that the other recipients of the message wouldn’t have the balls to even set foot on Pandora, let alone go on a rescue mission against bandits.

\---------------------------------------

“Are you serious Rhys? You’re telling me you want to go on a suicidal mission to Pandora to rescue the guy that’s been using you? And you want extra cheese in your pasta?” Vaughn pointed the wooden spoon at Rhys over and over again. 

“Well, when you put it that way, it doesn’t sound great, but it’s something I need to do Vaughn, you of all people should know that. And the pasta? C’mon dude, do you even have to ask?” The spoon lowered, as well as Vaughn’s head. 

Rhys walked round to the countertop next to Vaughn and leant on it, folding his arms. Vaughn paused for a second, and looked Rhys straight in the eyes.

“You may miss him, but if anything happened, I would miss you.” The smaller man immediately blushed, before focusing his attention back to the boiling pasta.

“Nothing’s going to happen Vaughn, I’m going to go in, not with the money though, to negotiate with the leader and get out with Jack. What’s the worst that could happen?” Vaughn’s face twisted into a grimace. 

“You get shot, get turned into a human pancake and my best bro is gone forever! Don’t you think it was bad enough the first time I thought you were dead on Pandora?” He pointed his finger in the center of Rhys’s chest

“Vaughn, who is going to help Jack? Do you really think that the blonde accounting girl is going to do it? It has to be me.” At this point Rhys had started to raise his voice. At the end of it all, having Rhys upset about Jack not making it back alive would get no one anywhere, and let out a long sigh.

“There’s no talking you out of this is there? God damn it. You gotta promise to keep in contact ok? I’m talking like a message or call every hour or so.” Vaughn turned off the hob, and lifted the pot of pasta over to the sink, and proceeded to strain it in the sink.

“Yes mom, will do, but what about lunch?” Rhys did his best to use a high pitched voice. A huge grin plastered Vaughn’s face and he looked up at Rhys. He may be important to Jack, but he was important to other people as well.

“I’m sure I can pay someone in requisitions for transport down there, and do we still have that gun stache from our little trip on Pandora?” 

“Yeah, nobody's touched it since we got back.” Vaughn’s eyes wandered over to a small cabinet in the corner of the kitchen counter, it’s contents consisting of a few guns and extra money that they thought it wouldn’t hurt to have locked away in case of an emergency. An emergency such as this.

“Everything is going to fine Vaughn, it’s going to go so smoothly, it will be as simple as baking a cake.” Rhys tried his best at comforting Vaughn. If Rhys didn’t believe everything would be fine, who would?

“The last time you tried baking, you ended up burning nearly your entire hand.” Both meb chuckled at the memory. Rhys had used his robot hand to handle the hot baking trays without using oven mitts and had completely forgot that his organic hand could get burnt. Next thing he knew, his hand felt like it was on fire and was crying out for Vaughn to call the fire brigade.

“Yeah, well….. Like I said, it’s gonna work out. It has to.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dont be afraid to hmu on tumblr [Pullingupflowers](http://pullingupflowers.tumblr.com)

**Author's Note:**

> Had this idea rolling around for a while so I decided to make a lil fic! hmu on tumblr: [Pullingupflowers](http://pullingupflowers.tumblr.com)


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